National Recognition for Shawnee Doherty's Community Impact

For Shawnee Doherty, a Realtor with United Real Estate Specialists, the mission behind the Hope Through Hollis Foundation is deeply personal. Recently, the foundation was named a finalist for a community impact grant, a recognition that honors more than a decade of dedication to funding research, supporting families and raising awareness for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer.

"This is the 11th year of our fundraising efforts, although the first year was to finance his treatment," said Doherty. "After he died, we focused our fundraising efforts on funding DIPG research to find a cure so no other child has to die from this disease."

The Hope Through Hollis Foundation was created in honor of Doherty's son, Hollis, who was diagnosed with DIPG on March 29, 2016. After bravely battling the disease for just over nine months, Hollis passed away on January 2, 2017. Since then, the foundation has worked tirelessly to advance research and provide hope for families facing the same diagnosis.

"The Hope Through Hollis Foundation honors the life and legacy of Hollis Doherty by urgently advancing research, raising awareness and uniting communities to find a cure for DIPG," Doherty said. "We are driven by the belief that every child deserves more time, more options and a future free from this devastating disease."

Over the past decade, the foundation's commitment has never wavered, but the journey has not been easy.

"Constantly fundraising, researching treatment trials, and making ourselves available for other DIPG families gets tiring," Doherty said. "Seeing kids continue to die and a cure still so far off in the future gets discouraging. However, we know that we can't rest yet and that our efforts are not in vain. Being recognized for this award is encouraging and will give us the strength to stay in the fight."

While significant progress has been made in DIPG research and clinical trials, Doherty knows there is still much work ahead.

"In the past 10 years, we have seen progress in the research and clinical trials," she said. "Kids are living longer and having better quality of life but most are still not living more than two years past diagnosis. It's encouraging to see the progress being made in this field but we must keep researching as the children are still dying."

Through it all, community support has been a constant source of motivation. Fundraisers, donations and acts of kindness from people who have been touched by Hollis' story continue to remind the family of the impact he made during his short life.

"The support we continue to receive from our community gives us strength," Doherty said. "People continue to support our foundation and attend our fundraisers. I still hear new stories about my son, who has been gone for almost 10 years, from people he made an impact on. His legacy has lived longer than he was alive on earth with us."

One recent example came from a high school senior across the country who learned about Hollis and the foundation's mission. Inspired by his story, she organized a fundraiser and raised more than $700 for DIPG research.

"We will likely never meet her but she is the same age he would have been if he had survived," Doherty said. "I think he would have done something like this, look for people in need and do what it takes to make a difference."

For Doherty, being named a finalist is more than recognition. It is a reminder that the fight continues and that every fundraiser, every donor and every supporter helps move the mission forward. Through the Hope Through Hollis Foundation, Hollis' legacy lives on, bringing hope to families today and helping create a better future for children facing DIPG.

Shawnee's commitment to helping families facing childhood cancer has already made a meaningful impact, and now you can help recognize that work on a national level.

Click here to vote for Shawnee Doherty!